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Tie-breaker for serial you'd most like to find an episode from This poll is closed. |
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| The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve |
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33 | 44.59% |
| The Highlanders |
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41 | 55.41% |
| Total: | 74 votes | ||
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That's always been the nature of Who, though, in every format. I know it's more standard in the UK to list the writer immediately after the episode title, but it feels especially appropriate for Doctor Who, where the abysmal "The Doom of Death by After the War" could be followed by the infinitely superior "Fear in Space by Maxwell Lord" and the most we'd do is shrug.
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Dec 28, 2016 19:09
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2house2fly posted:I don't know of any behind-the-scenes stories explaining exactly why there weren't any episodes this year. I haven't looked for them, so I don't know that there aren't any, but in their absence you don't know why the show took a year off any better than I do. They trailed 5 episodes after the xmas special. 4 of which we shot prior to it. e: obviously I can't post about the complete inner workings of the show but some of you have very  ideas about how it all works / how responsible SM apparently is for all ills in the universe.Maxwell Lord posted:At the same time a lot of British scripted shows tend to be written by one person or team, with editors and such. That wasn't feasible for Who so a showrunner-type role was the next best thing. Except this guy ^, he knows his beans. echoplex fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 19:46
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echoplex posted:e: obviously I can't post about the complete inner workings of the show but some of you have very I remember one discussion on another forum about "The Sound of Drums" from earlier this year where one participant said, "The Toclafane are greeted by the US president-elect because Moffat is an idiot," and it made me think of this thread. 
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Dec 28, 2016 20:14
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I've forgotten how to write a review! drat this hiatus!
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Dec 28, 2016 20:40
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Anyone who's read RTD's book on the subject knows that all scripts are written in a weekend-long panic attack fueled by wine and cigarettes. And also that every script will run through the headguy at some point and he basically writes them all himself because apparently there are only two good writers in England and everyone else just submits first drafts.
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Dec 28, 2016 20:43
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The way it used to work is Terrance Dicks would ring up Robert Holmes in a panic saying,"Where's my script? Where's the script? Gimme the script?  " and Holmes would drolly reply,"In a moment, dear boy  ", hang up, say boo to a passing child and then smoke a pipe for an hour or two before rolling his chair over to the typewriter and cheerfully bang out something brilliant in half an hour.Then Robert Holmes became the Script Editor and drolly smoked a pipe while reading other people's scripts and tutting gently while making corrections, occasionally saying boo to a passing child  Ms Boods will agree that this is an 100% accurate assessment of the situation.
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Dec 28, 2016 21:12
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You know, the fact that he was effectively fired when he made Talons explains a LOT about how Talons ended up.
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Dec 28, 2016 21:39
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That was a good Christmas episode. I really enjoyed it, and got a few laughs out of it.  But I think I would like to like it a little bit less. Let's check out the Doctor Who thread! . . . Yup, that did the trick. Tarquinn fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Dec 28, 2016 |
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Dec 28, 2016 23:48
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Jerusalem posted:The way it used to work is Terrance Dicks would ring up Robert Holmes in a panic saying,"Where's my script? Where's the script? Gimme the script? I'm no Ms Boods but this sounds accurate quote:Terrance Dicks intended to have Holmes replace him as script editor after he left. Holmes accepted the offer while the season was still in production, editing (uncredited) Death to the Daleks.
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Dec 29, 2016 00:08
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echoplex posted:They trailed 5 episodes after the xmas special. 4 of which we shot prior to it. I'm bring facetious more than anything, but I would like a scandalous tell-all
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Dec 29, 2016 00:54
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TL posted:Not just quit, erased from Doctor Who! Moffat hasn't been seen with a big, glowing crack in his office, has he? 
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Dec 29, 2016 02:45
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That episode wasn't super unique but I did enjoy watching it. The general standard of writing felt higher than usual, it was mostly funny when it wanted to be and held my interest.
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Dec 29, 2016 03:20
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Man, say what you will about his overall plots, I'm really gonna miss the way Moffat writes dialogue
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Dec 29, 2016 03:33
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Jerusalem posted:The way it used to work is Terrance Dicks would ring up Robert Holmes in a panic saying,"Where's my script? Where's the script? Gimme the script? The best story is about the novelization to The Time Warrior. Holmes had agreed to write it, but kept getting sidetracked. Terrence kept bugging him about needing it, until one day, a manuscript showed up. In it was the prologue, followed by a note that read "You finish it."
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Dec 29, 2016 10:12
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Davros1 posted:The best story is about the novelization to The Time Warrior. Holmes had agreed to write it, but kept getting sidetracked. Terrence kept bugging him about needing it, until one day, a manuscript showed up. In it was the prologue, followed by a note that read "You finish it." I believe Dicks even said,"The really annoying thing was that the prologue was written brilliantly!" 
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Dec 29, 2016 10:37
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I believe the "Time Warrior" serial was a case of Holmes being told to write a Dicks story, then a few years later, "Horror of Fang Rock" was Dicks being told to write a Holmes story.
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Dec 29, 2016 12:28
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I was excited they offered Flip Flop for free cause I like Big Finish but I don't have a lot of money. But now I can't stop listening to it. It doesn't seem to end! I was listening to it and thought 'wow the Slithergee are really annoying! they remind me of annoying MRAs' so I went to read some reviews to see if people got the same vibe. Some guy said they used 'basically feminist tactics' and I had a good laugh and taught me to never read timescales!
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Dec 29, 2016 16:46
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Jerusalem posted:The way it used to work is Terrance Dicks would ring up Robert Holmes in a panic saying,"Where's my script? Where's the script? Gimme the script? I endorse this post. And I endorse McGann's endorsement of this post as well. If you ever get a chance to access the files in the BBC Written Archives, you can riffle through pre-production paperwork on the show (from mid 1962 or so), commissioning of early scripts, and look at memos which discuss all of the authors who rejected requests to write stuff for the very first series. They approached a couple of important science fiction writers of the day (John Wyndam, who'd just scored big with Day of the Triffids and Some of the scripts for the first series or two also showed up at the 11th hour, accompanied by memos. *On the list of possible authors, it's typed as 'Poul' but someone's crossed it out and corrected it to 'Paul' in the margin. Then another hand had come along with decidedly heavier strokes, crossed out 'Paul' and written POUL in its place. Ms Boods fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Dec 29, 2016 |
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Dec 29, 2016 17:37
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Ms Boods posted:*On the list of possible authors, it's typed as 'Poul' but someone's crossed it out and corrected it to 'Paul' in the margin. Then another hand had come along with decidedly heavier strokes, crossed out 'Paul' and written POUL in its place. Oh passive-aggressive bureaucrats....
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Dec 29, 2016 20:15
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Probably turned them down when he saw the letter from Sydney or Verity addressed to "Mr. Paul Anderson."
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Dec 29, 2016 20:27
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You know what I found strange about that episode, how the Doctor wasn't trying to remove the gem from him the whole time. If he was wary about Captain Jack being immortal, and Me with her immortality, he didn't give two shits about a guy who could control the universe if he wanted to.
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Dec 29, 2016 21:48
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happyhippy posted:You know what I found strange about that episode, how the Doctor wasn't trying to remove the gem from him the whole time. Eh, none of his powers seemed temporal in nature. He may be powerful, but not a danger to the time vortex or anything
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Dec 29, 2016 21:55
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How is "The Exxilons?" It's on sale today, and I've never heard one of the Fourth Doctor Adventures.
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Dec 29, 2016 23:25
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And he's clearly not immortal, he's INVINCIBLE, which is entirely different. He's grown up, into a mature adult at that, and grew up on comics like Superman and Spider-Man that teach responsible use of powers like his. He's not likely to do much damage, and seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't seek ways tobprolong his life and outlive his loved ones. That gem will come out, eventually.
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Dec 29, 2016 23:31
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egon_beeblebrox posted:How is "The Exxilons?" It's on sale today, and I've never heard one of the Fourth Doctor Adventures. Its been a while since I listened to that one; but I seem to remember it being pretty good. Plus it's got my personal favorite audio companion assortment.
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Dec 29, 2016 23:48
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Cleretic posted:That gem will come out, eventually. Yeah but he'll probably just swallow it again.
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Dec 30, 2016 00:35
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Yeah, I'll admit my first thought was that he was downing the gem again daily and for a moment thought the baby monitor was a timer telling him he needed to rush home for a deuce. Not convinced what we got was better.
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Dec 30, 2016 01:17
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Rhyno posted:Yeah but he'll probably just swallow it again. Oh, no, you misunderstand. I'll rephrase: the gem will no longer be in Grant's system, eventually. I'm saying it'll be free to get when he dies.
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Dec 30, 2016 01:50
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The Doctor said it was part of his DNA now.
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Dec 30, 2016 01:56
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The Doctor thinks a mirror is a man in another room glaring angrily at him, I wouldn't trust him to tell me my own name
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Dec 30, 2016 02:24
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I mean, write weird scatological fanfic if you like, but don't pretend the episode doesn't lay out its own rules fairly clearly. 
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Dec 30, 2016 02:36
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 The Doctor joins forces with a masked Superhero for an epic New York adventure! With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, the Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost… Peter Capaldi is the Doctor in The Return of Doctor Mysterio. Cast The Doctor - Peter Capaldi Nardole - Matt Lucas Grant - Justin Chatwin Lucy - Charity Wakefield Mr Brock - Tomiwa Edun Dr Sim - Aleksandar Jovanovic Young Grant - Logan Hoffman Teen Grant - Daniel Lorente Reporter - Sandra Teles Operator - Tanroh Ishida Soldier - Vaughn Johseph Producer: Peter Bennett Writer: Steven Moffat Director: Ed Bazalgette Original Broadcast: 25 December 2016 Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9caU8yjJmk ** After a year-long hiatus that I personally blame for everything that’s happened in 2016, Doctor Who makes its return to the airwaves with a light-hearted Christmas episode that has very little to do with the holiday season. The Return of Doctor Mysterio is a simple and straight-forward affair, a superhero stories riddled with Silver Age clichés involving aliens with a flimsy plan for world domination crossed with a sappy love story. It’s not the most memorable or top-flight episode. Instead, The Return of Doctor Mysterio serves as a light appetizer that sates the 12-month hunger in anticipation for the upcoming season. Nearly a quarter of a century ago, a young child named Grant has a chance Christmas Eve meeting on a rooftop with a strange alien. The alien, a strange being who Grant christens Doctor Mysterio, possesses a gemstone that utilizes the power of a distant star to grant whoever holds it their fondest wish. Upon accidentally swallowing the gemstone, the crystal bounds with Grant’s DNA, thus providing him with his greatest desire – the power to be a superhero! In modern day New York, intrepid reporter Lucy Fletcher is digging into the background of Harmony Shoals, a seemingly benevolent multinational research corporation that hides a dark secret. Joined in her investigations by a mysterious man calling himself the Doctor, it appears that their attempts to uncover the truth will lead to their demise at the hands of Harmony Shoals’ true caretakers, an alien race with a diabolical scheme to take over the Earth! Only one person can assist Lucy and the Doctor to bring the aliens’ mad plan to a screeching halt – the super-powered vigilante known only as THE GHOST!   This is Steven Moffat’s seventh Doctor Who Christmas special, as well as the first original episode of the series to air in over a year (I’m not counting the restoration of The Power of the Daleks). It would be very easy for one to think “THIS is the episode it took a year to write? Man, Season 4 of Sherlock better be the television equivalent of Crime and Punishment.” The plot of The Return of Doctor Mysterio is right out of a comic book – boy gains superpowers, boy grows into man, man becomes hero, hero keeps secret identity from the love of his life, hero saves the world – with elements of Doctor Who spliced into provide just a little bit of meta awareness without going overboard. Moffat doesn’t dig too deep into his bag of tricks for this one. There aren’t any time travel motifs that require flowcharts to understand, nor are there any repeated mantras or everyday objects made creepy. The threatening aliens are the “split their own head open aliens” from The Husbands of River Song who call themselves the Shoal of the Winter Harmony. Their plan to take over the world…it’s original, though the more one thinks about it the more unlikely it becomes. Most of the aspects of the Ghost and Lucy Fletcher are lifted directly from Richard Donner’s film version of Superman, down to the rooftop interview and the hero, whose civilian persona is a part of the reporter’s everyday life, hiding his identity behind a pair of glasses. The dialogue is fast and pithy, the stakes are ridiculously high, and the climax all comes down to the Ghost/Grant doing something that would be absolutely eye-rolling in any other situation but absolutely perfect for this episode, even if the actual denouement is a bit too rushed and pat for my tastes. Straight forward, clichéd, non-offensive…and it’s NOT a bad thing. Moffat isn’t trying to rewrite the comic book movie, he’s paying homage to it. The Return of Doctor Mysterio is light-hearted fun, which is a nice contrast to the ultra-heavy DC Universe movies that have come out in the past years. It also serves to poke fun at some of the comic book clichés, like the geeky guy pining for the girl for years on end also with juggling being a superhero while also being the nanny to an infant (“Some situations are just TOO stupid to be allowed go on!”). After his turn as Goku in the cinematic disaster that was Dragonball Evolution, Justin Chatwin (who also starred in four season of Shameless) nails both the over-the-top earnest nature of the hero called the Ghost and the mild mannerisms of Grant Gordon, supernanny, bouncing effortlessly between the two with a low-key energy. Although the Nice Guy tropes seep in and make Gordon come off as a little creepy, which thankfully the Doctor calls him out on. quote:
Fortunately the chemistry between Chatwin and Charity Wakefield as Lucy Fletcher helps balance that factor out. Wakefield plays the part of the intrepid reporter to a T – inquisitive, clever, daring, and failing to notice the biggest story in the city is staring her RIGHT in the face from behind a pair of glasses. But more importantly, Lucy introduces what just might be the most promising new character of the upcoming series…   I love the look on Capaldi's face. It's like the Doctor's finally seen something he's never seen before. When it was revealed that Matt Lucas would be returning to the show as Nardole, the fans were…a little split. Aside from the fact that Nardole had his HEAD CUT OFF in The Husbands of River Song, to some Lucas is an acquired taste. Fortunately, Nardole turns out to be a strong counterpart to the Doctor as the pair engage in some perfectly-timed-for-Christmas panto back-and-forth dialogue and styling. He also gets a “companion” moment by being grabbed and put in peril by the rubber arm of an alien reaching through a door to grab him as well as getting a heroic moment when he saves the Doctor from Harmony Shoals by materializing the TARDIS around him.  After the final scene with the Doctor and River in The Husbands of River Song, it was great to see Peter Capaldi come out with a smile on his face in full-on Doctor mode. Capaldi just seems to be having a lot of fun with this episode as he engages in the standard Doctor clichés – showing up suddenly and acting like he owns the place, drawing strangers into his orbit by being both charming and infuriating, giving the bad guys one chance to run before he stops them, defending the Earth on Christmas, and calling people out on their stupidity when given the opportunity.   Moffat could have given fans a dour and brooding Doctor, one who spent the past twenty-four years with River Song before she died. Instead, we get a madly dashing Doctor whose best plan to stop a spaceship from crashing into New York City is to do something completely unexpected (“What’s Plan B?” “I don’t know, but it’s going to be a very big relief when I think of it!”). After everything with Clara, Me, and River Song, it really feels like the Doctor has managed to move on to a new chapter…which is weirdly Moffat’s final chapter. quote:Things end. That's all. Everything ends. And it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's always happy. Be happy. I'll look after everything else.  The Return of Doctor Mysterio is just that – the return of the Doctor to our televisions, with a light-hearted, low-stakes, and just plain fun episode. Nothing heavy, nothing draining, just a madman, his box. In short, everything Doctor Who can and should be, but with the added bonus of a superhero saving New York City. Random Thoughts - The scene where the Ghost takes his mask off and Charity keeps missing the fact that it’s really Grant made me chuckle. - The Doctor is on the roof of Grant’s New York apartment building to fix the time distortions caused by the events The Angels Take Manhattan. - Lucy Fletcher’s maiden name? Lucy Lombard. Lois Lane anyone? - I appreciated how Brock suggests the reporters at the press conference throw their questions to “Miss Shuster and Ms. Siegel.” Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster are known as the creators of Superman. - Oh, and the Harmony Shoals building, with the big globe on top? Come on, it’s The Daily Planet! - Hey look, it’s UNIT! And one of them dies almost immediately!  Cobi’s Synopsis – The Silver Age shines through as The Return of Doctor Mysterio pays homage to comic books with a light-hearted episode bursting with superhero clichés and thrilling heroics.
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Dec 30, 2016 02:57
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The only thing I enjoyed was the Doctor figuring out that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person.
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Dec 30, 2016 03:01
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You missed another big one Fletcher is extremely similar to the name of the animation studio that created the original 9 1940s Superman cartoons, Fleischer. Which might be some of the best looking animation ever made, especially some of the all time best of the Golden Age of animation. It would be remarkable if that wasn't on purpose.
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Dec 30, 2016 03:10
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Well he's no Handles, but he's showing a lot of promise!
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Dec 30, 2016 04:14
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D'you happen to have any more gifs of the episode?
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Dec 30, 2016 08:57
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I really would have liked to have liked it, but like others I did feel that a lot of the aspects that people liked was stuff I had seen done far better in previous movies/television - the tributes to Richard Donner's Superman were nice but they weren't really doing anything that the movie didn't do far better decades earlier. It probably didn't help that I had to wait a year to see this so my expectations were already quite high. Anyway, here's http://i.imgur.com/1ZjD1J1.gifv http://i.imgur.com/SHcqJjs.gifv http://i.imgur.com/pXcW4MR.gifv http://i.imgur.com/QY9lSme.gifv http://i.imgur.com/o9mNK8x.gifv http://i.imgur.com/FDXDwGy.gifv http://i.imgur.com/WVsLktY.gifv http://i.imgur.com/7SEJYAG.gifv http://i.imgur.com/yGSI6mC.gifv http://i.imgur.com/9DXINuk.gifv http://i.imgur.com/WVDZNR7.gifv
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Dec 30, 2016 09:51
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I keep coming back to the fact that the Doctor just walked away from an innocent man being left to die.
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Dec 30, 2016 12:21
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Carbon dioxide posted:D'you happen to have any more gifs of the episode? See the post below. No one GIF's like Jerusalem. Having to search Tumblr for GIFS was...less than pleasant.
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Dec 30, 2016 15:07
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CobiWann posted:No one GIF's like Jerusalem. Can confirm.
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Dec 30, 2016 16:13
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